Alaska Film Archives | Archive

About the Collection

Over the past half century, the University of Alaska Fairbanks has built the largest collection of archival films in and about Alaska. The collection combines hundreds of donations of film and videos to UAF by individuals, organizations and institutions. Materials range from professional productions to amateur home-movies, made in and about Alaska from the earliest days of filmmaking through today. Since 1993 these materials have been held by the Alaska Film Archives, a unit of Alaska and Polar Regions Collections & Archives in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library. Films and videos selected for this portal project are a sampling of the thousands available for checkout on DVD through the Rasmuson Library. Unless otherwise noted, items are presented here in their entirety, unedited and uncut. Short, popular clips from the collection can be viewed on our YouTube channel. Read more about the Alaska Film Archives.

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: [Alaska Airlines Lockheed Starliner aircraft]; The donor’s original number and title for AAF-20723 are: “RM 16. Alaska Airlines, Connie OTZ, Cooper Ldg, Sheep.” This film features an Alaska Airlines Lockheed Starliner with "Fly Alaska" on its side (N7316C) landing and taxiing on a snowy runway at Kotzebue in northwest Alaska, an Alaska Airlines ramp agent directing the aircraft on the ground, passengers walking toward and boarding the airplane, and views of sheep on a hill. Note that the Starliner developed out of the Lockheed Super Constellation with the Starliner having a redesigned wing and more powerful engines.

: [Alaska joint federal-state land use planning commission at Tok - part 1]; Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) (d-2) public hearings of the Joint Federal-State Land Use Planning Commission recorded in Tok on June 18, 1973. Part 1: Commissioner Harry Carter introduces commission staff member Lucy Carlo, Resource Team member Richard Stemhart?, U.S. Forest Service representative Vern Clapp, Bureau of Land Management representatives Jerry Timmons? and Elliot Lowe?, State Division of Lands representative Bill Arpino, Tok area Superintendent of Schools Dave Lanagan?, Wall Street Journal representative Dick Emil?, Doyon Director Sam Kito, and cameraman Greg Imig. Testimony is heard from: William E. Simons, an engineer equipment operator with the U.S. Army; Chief Andrew Isaac, representing the people of Tanacross and Dot Lake; and an unidentified man seated in the audience.

: [Alaska joint federal-state land use planning commission at Tok - part 2]; Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) (d-2) public hearings of the Joint Federal-State Land Use Planning Commission recorded in Tok on June 18, 1973. Part 2: Sam Kito speaks from the audience. Testimony is then heard from Ms. Morgan of Tok, who has been a homesteader, schoolteacher, and storeowner in the area. Bill Arpino testifies about the relationship between Native Alaskans and white Alaskans.

: [Alaska Native Land Claims symposium]; AAF-13175 is a 1/2-inch open reel videotape labeled "Alaska Native Land Claims Symposium, speaker: Neil Bassett representing USDI-BLM, Master." A representative from the U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Managament speaks during a symposium on Alaska Native lands claims.

: Alaska Review 27; In the first segment, Eric Eckholm reports on Humpback Whales in Alaska waters and efforts to study and protect the giant mammals. Interviewees include whale scientist Sharon Guinn and high school biology teacher Charles Juracz of Juneau. The report contains underwater views of whales off the coast of Hawaii and whales at Glacier Bay. In the second segment, Eric Eckholm reports on the strategic importance of Alaska to the military. Those interviewed include: General Jenes, Alaska Army Commander; General Winfield Scott, Alaska Air Force Commander; Lieutenant Colonel LaLime, chief of the U.S. Air Force 43rd Tactical Squadron; and an unidentified F-4 navigator. The report contains views of Nike-Hercules missiles, military aircraft and equipment, and Jack Frost military maneuvers in Alaska. The program also contains Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about relaxation techniques and solar energy.

: Alaska Review 35; Reporter Mark Weller examines the potential benefits and dangers of drilling for oil in Alaska's offshore waters. Those interviewed include: Don Clocksin of Juneau, with Alaska Legal Services; John Witteveen of Kodiak, fisherman; Carolita Kallour of Anchorage, with the U.S. Department of the Interior; Bill Hopson of Anchorage, with the Alaska Oil and Gas Association; Roger Herrera of Anchorage, with Sohio-BP; Tom Cook of Anchorage, director of the Department of Minerals and Energy for the State of Alaska; Cal Owens, safety supervisor for Union Oil; Vincent O'Reilly, mayor of Kenai; Archie Brower of Barrow, president of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation; Dr. Gunter Weller of Fairbanks, with the Arctic OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) Program; Eben Hopson of Barrow, mayor of the North Slope Borough; Laughton Johnson of the Shetland Islands; Mr. Urquhart, director of the Shetland Council; and Hank Pennington of Kodiak, chairman of Kodiak's OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) Advisory Council. The program contains views of people, including Governor Jay Hammond, filling vehicles at gas stations. Also included are scenes of an oil drilling platform in Cook Inlet, a Kenai oil refinery and fire department, subsistence hunters near Barrow, ice in the Beaufort Sea, the Shetland Islands of the United Kingdom, oil spill damage near the Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland, and Kodiak Island. The program also contains Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about the March of Dimes, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and skateboarding safety.

: [Alaska travel, Healy, Valdez, Gulkana, Ski Boot Hill, travel outside 1]; This film is made up of several smaller reels labeled: "Raft Race and Rodeo," "August 1967, Mom and Dad Arriving, Valdez Trip, Floods, [?] House," "Raft Race," "Raft Race," "Wisc Kids 1966," "Wisc Kids #2," "Ferry to Whittier 1972," and "Square Dance 1973." The film contains footage of a raft race on the Tanana River near Fairbanks, a rodeo, Wien airplanes at an airport, Valdez area waterfalls, a man and boy holding fish and standing near a camper, flooded homes in a neighborhood, North Star Borough School buses, family scenes outside Alaska, scenes viewed from the deck of a ferry, and people square-dancing.

: [Aleut Elders Conference 1978, Part 1]; Man plays guitar and sings several songs including "Springtime in Alaska," and then several elders are interviewed at the 1978 Aleut Elders Conference. (See also Tapes 1-5, AAF-402 -- AAF-406, which were recorded during the same conference and contain additional information on traditional activities). Names of participants in the Aleut Elders Conference, speaking in English or Aleut, include the following (note that spelling of names has not been verified): Dushkin; Sergei and Agnes Sovoroff; Dorofay? and Elsie Chercasin; Nick McGlashin; Tcheripanoff; Iliodor Philemonof; Slepston?; Nehus; Larry Maffay? or Maffey?; Paraskovia Wright?; Harry Tiponaise? or Tipponaise?; Charlie Franz; Ed Anderson; William and Moses Dirks; Jenny Golley; John Nazaroff? or Nevzoroff?; Dan Krukoff; Polly Nelson; Alice Petrivelli; Sherry Spitler?; and Lily McGarvey?.

: [Alyeska start-up]; Images include the press and TV crews at Prudhoe Bay waiting for oil to start flowing into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline on June 20, 1977 as well as scenes inside a control room and aerial views of Prudhoe Bay facilities. See AAF-20,001 -- AAF-20,002 for associated items. Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "Box 108 - 1 large reel, 2 medium reels, 1 photo and a magazine article - Start-up at pig launcher. This is the first time they put oil in the pipeline. They put a pig in the pipe first and in it was an electronic device that could detect where the oil was. You could walk along and hear the pig pinging, and they had instruments that could pick it up to track it when it went underground. Bill was the only one allowed inside the pump station because he worked for Alyeska. There were TV crews from all over the world to film this and he was the only one allowed in. Bill was in there filming, and the oil started to come into the pump station, and all of the sudden oil started coming in and spraying all over the station. This guy that worked in there yelled at Bill, 'Does that camera run on electricity?' And Bill answered, 'Yes sir.' He yelled back, 'Shut it off,' so Bill did and he said, 'What the hell is the matter?' The guy said, 'One spark and this whole place blows to kingdom come - you don’t realize but that crude oil has everything in it - it has gas and everything in it, so it will blow this thing to hell.' Once they cleaned it up a little, they let him film again, and he got film of them cleaning it up. The man in the pump station said, 'Mark my words before this oil gets to Valdez someone is going to get killed,' and sure enough someone did. There was a leak in the pipe, and they did not shut off all the electrical stuff, and the thing blew up. No one knows why, but it happened."

: [Art class]; Film contains scenes of a classroom full of artists sketching and painting as a male model sits in a chair at the front of the classroom. Fred Machetanz sketches and paints, and he instructs other artists at their easels or as they look over his shoulder. Fred Machetanz looks at and talks about a display of sketches, swatches and paintings with labels such as “1935 Alaska Unalakleet” and “Materials, Pigments, Glazing,” etc.

: Children of Akiachak; This film was produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, Juneau Area Office, to examine the pilot study of a community child development program in the Alaska village of Akiachak. The bilingual program trained parents to use various methods for teaching their own preschool children. The program emphasized development of language and motor skills in preparation for elementary school.

: Children of Eek and their art; Teacher Paul Forer introduces the school children in Eek to different techniques in drawing pictures.

: [Dog sled races]; This film contains footage of people with a dog team, the start of a dog sled race, a dog team on a trail, a dog team on a city street, the North American Championship races, scenes along a trail, an interview with a musher, a children's game, a small parade, a blanket toss, and a trophy ceremony.

: Education in Eskimo; AAF-14564 and AAF-14565 are films that contain identical scenes with AAF-14564 narrated in English and AAF-14565 narrated in Yupik. The film was produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, Juneau Area Office, to demonstrate approaches to bi-lingual education in Alaska. The program contains scenes of daily life and school in Akiachak, Alaska, along the lower Kuskokwim River. Teachers are shown instructing students of various ages and are interviewed about the process of providing education in both Yupik and English. The film also contains scenes of people hauling water in winter, girls using story knives, people listening to a radio, men repairing a snowmachine, boys with a dog team, students saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school, and men and women at a school board meeting. University of Alaska educators and local instructors create new instructional materials. Students sing a song to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Yupik. The film credits list the following names: teachers Mary Ann Lomack, Molly Lomack, and Bernadine Featherly; technical assistants Anna Alexie, Sophie Parks, Marie Nick, Elizabeth Worm, Molly Lomack, Susan Smalley, Mary Ann Lomack, Bernardine Featherly, and Mary Perela; consultants Warren Tiffany and Walter T. Featherly of the BIA and Irene Reed of University of Alaska Eskimo Language Workshop; narrator Marx Hartman; sound technician Lauchy McMillan; writer Richard Hawk of University of Washington; cameraman and editor Thomas Williams; and producer and director Donald J. Morrow. Local community members identified the following individuals in 2018: Actor Henry Lomack, translators Pascal Afgan and Ted Brink, and Yup’ik narrator Rev. Teddy Brink.

: Elitnaureyaraq Yupigtun; AAF-14564 and AAF-14565 are films that contain identical scenes with AAF-14564 narrated in English and AAF-14565 narrated in Yupik. The film was produced by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, Juneau Area Office, to demonstrate approaches to bi-lingual education in Alaska. The program contains scenes of daily life and school in Akiachak, Alaska, along the lower Kuskokwim River. Teachers are shown instructing students of various ages and are interviewed about the process of providing education in both Yupik and English. The film also contains scenes of people hauling water in winter, girls using story knives, people listening to a radio, men repairing a snowmachine, boys with a dog team, students saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school, and men and women at a school board meeting. University of Alaska educators and local instructors create new instructional materials. Students sing a song to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” in Yupik. The film credits list the following names: teachers Mary Ann Lomack, Molly Lomack, and Bernadine Featherly; technical assistants Anna Alexie, Sophie Parks, Marie Nick, Elizabeth Worm, Molly Lomack, Susan Smalley, Mary Ann Lomack, Bernardine Featherly, and Mary Perela; consultants Warren Tiffany and Walter T. Featherly of the BIA and Irene Reed of University of Alaska Eskimo Language Workshop; narrator Marx Hartman; sound technician Lauchy McMillan; writer Richard Hawk of University of Washington; cameraman and editor Thomas Williams; and producer and director Donald J. Morrow. Local community members identified the following individuals in 2018: Actor Henry Lomack, translators Pascal Afgan and Ted Brink, and Yup’ik narrator Rev. Teddy Brink.

: [Eyth Family collection films 1]; This film contains images of family Christmas scenes, children on a swing set in winter, children dressed up and with a kitten in an Easter basket, a family in a boat, a moose in a river, an amusement park, a moose, children in a boat on a river bank, and children playing in water with a cabin in the background.

: [Eyth Family collection films 2]; This film contains scenes featuring people posing and getting into a small airplane, a small framed cabin, a log cabin, boats on a river, women and a cabin, cabins and caches along a river, a family at a cabin, many people in a boat, a moose in a river, and mountains as seen from a river.

: [Eyth Family collection films 3]; This film contains aerial views of mountains as seen from a small airplane as well as scenes featuring men talking, homemade rafts on a river, moose, children playing in a river, mountains and a glacier, waterfalls, ice, and seals.

: [Eyth Family collection films 7]; AAF-13887 contains scenes of a family Christmas, a moose, and a glacier. AAF-13888 contains scenes of deep snow. AAF-13889 -- AAF-13894 contain scenes of a glacier face, a Bridal Veil falls sign, Fourth of July celebrations, a family camping, a river and fishing (poor exposure on original film), a family Christmas, and a camper and boat.

: [Fairbanks Daily News Miner newspaper development process]

: Films North; Film contains scenes of artist Fred Machetanz beginning work on a painting in his studio, outside in winter stacking firewood, and in his studio finishing a painting of polar bears.

: [Finish glaze work]; Film contains close-up scenes of a 1976 Machetanz painting.

: [Fort Wainwright 1970s]; This film contains scenes from the early 1970s of troops at Fort Wainwright boarding a C-130 aircraft, aerial views of the landscape, and scenes of soldiers with parachutes exiting the aircraft.

: [Fred and Sara Machetanz]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz working on a 1975 painting and signing his name in the corner, driving on a snowy road, and painting in his studio. This is followed by scenes of Sara Machetanz skiing with a white dog and snow-covered mountains near Palmer.

: [Fred Machetanz]; Film contains scenes of artist Fred Machetanz at work in his studio, sign for “Hilscher Highway – Private Road,” scenes of driving along a snowy road as seen from inside a car, and signs pointing toward Machetanz property.

: [Fred Machetanz outdoors and indoors]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz and another man using a chain saw and ax to fell and cut up trees for firewood, men driving along a snowy road, and Fred Machetanz stacking firewood then painting in his studio

: [Fred Machetanz painting]; Film contains scenes of Fred Machetanz’s studio and the artist at work inside his studio. He uses his fingers to blend color on a painting, draws with charcoal, and applies color to another painting.

: Gardening is great in the north; This film contains tips about gardening in the North. It includes scenes of man mushing dogs to a cabin, a man and woman talking about hunting and farming, a woman making a phone call using a rotary phone, Virgil Severns of Cooperative Extension Service, gardening site selection tips, vegetable variety tips, a demonstration of starting seeds in foam cups, people shoveling soil and talking about soil sample kits, a man using a roto-tiller in a small garden area, people discussing fertilizer, a man demonstrating how to prepare potatoes for planting, a demonstration of garden planting techniques, hoeing and weeding, a family harvesting vegetables from their garden, and a demonstration of techniques for storing carrots. The credits are as follows: Photographer and editor, Reginald Emmert of UAF Rasmuson Library Media Services, animation and art by Dolores Hutchison, audio by Kevin Hamel, music by Helen Hansen, production assistance by Kathy Kollodge, special thanks to Claire Fejes and Gary Stein and Virgil Severns, and supported by The Alaska Native Human Resource Development Program. A list of gardening publications appears at the end.

: [Haines, totem poles, etc. 2]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20,055 numbered as Bacon 12-2, and titled "Haines, Sue Silver Carver: 50 feet." Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "...Silver carver and more inside the Whale House..."

: [Hanes, totem poles, etc. 7]; The filmmaker's original labeling scheme has AAF-20,061 numbered as Bacon 12-9, and it's titled "Haines, Indian craft center, Carl Heinmiller: ECN [Eastman Color Negative]-200 feet." See AAF-20,004 for an associated item originally labeled Bacon 12-5. Reed Bovee interviewed filmmaker Bill Bacon in 2010, and the following information about these films is based on Bovee's notes from that interview: "Box 12 - 9 Reels, 1 black & white picture - Picture in box of Carl Heinmiller dancing. Picture doing the bear dance. Whale House clan at Klukwan inside Whale House. Different upright poles; they had moved the old Whale House. They had four posts and one was a Strong Man Totem that describes a man pulling a killer whale apart and his father fell out of the whale. A Girl and Worm Totem pole; she was put into the totem pole to save until she became eligible for the chief to marry. She wanted to get out so a worm came along and ate all around the wood so she could escape. Potlatch trough was a huge log approximately 30 feet long. They dug all the wood out, carved it with head on the front, legs on the back and that is where they put all the food for a potlatch. Silver carver and more inside the Whale House. Miner gal with gold, air shots of Fort Seward in Haines, shots along the Lynn Canal, work in Indian Craft Center, fishing at Haines, people come there and fly fish. Chilkat River, Klukwan Village."

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